Flood Risk Management in Norway The Floods Directive

Flood Risk Management in Norway The Floods Directive and Climate Change Gunnar Kristiansen Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate Department for Landslides, Flood and River Management Section for Land Use and Watercourse Safety

Implementation of the Floods Directive NVEs recommendation and decision; Ministry of Petroleum and Energy: Implementation of the directive will not by itself lead to a sufficient handling of flood risk in Norway has few rivers crossing the boarders to other countries. Therefore is the need of cooperation between neighboring countries is rather small ■ Our main challenges aren’t from floods alone, but floods in cooperation/at the same time/place with landslides. ■ We already have a good system for preventing damages from floods. ■ 2 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat

■ Norway will focus on floods, debris floods and landslides together: ■ further hazard mapping, better land use planning, measures, monitoring, emergency preparedness The relation between the water framework directive and the flood directive isn’t very close, especially since we planned to select few areas with potential significant flood risk. The “balance” between the two directives could be difficult. ■ Norway will continue the international flood cooperation work in WFD were the FD are or can be handled ■ It is important to continue the good collaboration established in PFRAs projects and different international cooperation projects ■ NO DECISION IS MADE- is it EEA relevant? 3 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat

Spring floods - 1995 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21 4

Example of a winter flood – January 2006 Precipitation (150 -300 mm in three days) and snowmelt (10 -50 mm in three days) Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21 5

Summer flash floods Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21 6

Autumn flash floods – south west of Norway 2005 – induced by extremely intense precipitation 7 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21

Efforts to improve land use management after 1995 ■ Guidelines for land use in flood prone areas with differentiated safety requirements – (may be revised? ) ■ Better information and advice to local municipalities on land use planning in flood prone areas ■ Program for mapping of hazards along rivers ■ Flood sone mapping ■ Program for reducing the risk of quick clay landslides ■ Program for mapping danger of debris flows Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21 8

Flood zone mapping project ■ 140+ areas mapped Aim: to give local municipalities the means for better spatial planning and preparedness efforts and reduce flood damage by avoiding new developement in areas in danger of flooding. ■ ■ 9 between 1998 -2013 Maps show flooded area at different flood frequencies Municipalities main target group The maps are produced digitally and can be used directly in spatial planning together with other spatial data and information Are used as a decision tool for spatial planning and protection works Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21

Program for reducing the risk of quick clay landslides ■ Cooperation between NVE■ ■ ■ 10 NGI Localise quick clay areas Evaluate landslide danger, consequences and risk Comfirm evaluation with complementary investigations Build safety measures Ensure correct land use – spatial planning Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21

Each quick clay sone is evaluated by probability of a landslide and the consequences of one. Risk is the product of probability and consequence. Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21 11

Program for mapping debris flow hazard 12 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02 -mar-21

Climate Change NOU (2010: 10) Adapting to a changing climate Current climate research does not provide any definite answers, but do give an indication of the direction in which the climate will change. It is the committee’s opinion that we know enough to conclude that efforts to adapt must be introduced immediately. Climate change considerations are just one of many that must be made in planning. In the committee’s assessment it is important that adaptation is not separated from other planning processes. Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 13

Climate Change White paper no. 15 (2011 -2012) Under 7. 4, safety standards and adaptation to climate change Recommendations and/or guidelines on how future climate should be adressed Land Use Planning (LUP) related to: - floods - sea level rise - land slides A White Paper adressing Future Climate is expected this fall. 14 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat

Climate Change Task: Preparedness of damage from floods, erosion and land slides– in a changing climate Fields: ■ Hazard Mapping ■ Land Use Planning ■ Measures ■ Monitoring ■ Emergency preparedness 15 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat

Climate Change ■ Results indicate large regional variations in projected changes, with moderate to large ■ increases in areas with rainfalldominated flooding and ■ possible decreases in areas with snowmelt-dominated flood regimes ■ Changes in seasonality of floods and in the dominant flood generating mechanism is expected in some areas 16 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02. 03. 2021

Climate Change In practice (flood risk management, dam safety): ■ Regional guidance has been developed using three categories: ■ 0%, ■ 20%, ■ (40%) ■ Specific numbers from projections for individual catchments not used Projected change in 200 -year flow 17 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat

PFRA and hazard map. Mosjøen 18 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat 02. 03. 2021

Flood Risk Management Plans ■ SAWA-report “Challenges in flood risk management planning. An example of a FRMP for the Finnish-Norwegian river Tana”. ■ SAWA-report “Flomrisikoplan for Gaula ved Melhus” Lessons learned based on the two pilot studies: ■ Basically, FRMP is a list of measures. Therefore, it’s important to have definite objectives. ■ Priority of measures to be determined by the plans objectives. ■ A common understanding on flood risk and its challenges related to all stakeholders interests. ■ Ownership to the plan and to carry out the measures: land use planning and emergency preparedness 19 Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat